


Mission to Ord Mantell

by LetsWookiesWin (Ravenhoot)



Series: The Interim Tales of The Princess and The Smuggler [5]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars: Rebellion Era - All Media Types
Genre: Between Episodes, Canon-Typical Violence, Could Be Canon, F/M, Heist, Pre-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 06:02:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16759372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenhoot/pseuds/LetsWookiesWin
Summary: "That bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind."Just what happened on that mission that spooked Han so badly he felt the need to leave the Alliance, find Jabba, and pay off his bounty?Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewie are sent on a mission to liberate some much-needed Rebellion credits from a planet with heavy Imperial presence. The mission couldn't have come at a worse time - Han and Leia aren't speaking to each other and Luke suspects something is going on between them.Mostly canon-compliant with a few tweaks to make it fit into my series.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The canon-compliant sections of this story are from the Star Wars audio recording from the early 80's? titled Rebel Mission to Ord Mantell. You can hear it here if you're interested:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX0smrOr3Vg

“Alright, so here’s the details,” Rieekan started. “There’s an entire vault full of Republic credits on Ord Mantell. The vault was leased by the Alderaanian royal family, so Princess Leia is the only one who can get it open.”

“Can’t we just blast it open?” Han suggested.

“I suppose you could… if you wanted to get blown to bits,” Rieekan answered sardonically. “The vault is protected by several high-tech security measures. We’re talking about several million credits here. Princess Leia is going to have to use her palm print to get the vault open… and a retinal scan and voice ID match.”

“Kriffing hell… who knew Ord Mantell was so high up on the security food chain, huh?” Han said to Chewie. “No wonder we never tried to rob it.”

“Now, the problem is that the facility where the vault is located is under Imperial control. Once the Princess overrides the vault codes, they will be put on high alert. They will automatically deploy defensive tactics to prevent anything from being removed from the vault.”

“Err, what kind of ‘defensive tactics’ are we talking about?” Han asked.

“In order to remove anything from the vault, it must be requested for removal and assigned a shipping container,” Leia explained. “The Empire’s system will lock down the vault and seal everything into a shipping container and move it into a transport, where it will be transferred to another facility.”

“So, why are we going through all this trouble if they’re just going to seal it and whisk it away to another location?” Luke asked.

“Because once the transfer begins, Artoo Detoo will manually override the transfer instructions from a central terminal. Luke, you’ll be standing by on a transport where the shipping container will be rerouted. Once it’s loaded onto the transport, you’ll rendezvous with Captain Solo and the Princess on the _Millennium Falcon.”_

Han and Leia looked at one another briefly and uncomfortably. After what had happened in her chambers that morning, the last thing Han wanted to do was be on a mission alone with her.

“Uhh, General,” Han said. “Wouldn’t it be better if Skywalker goes to the vault with Her Worship? Chewie and me can get that container off without a hitch easily…”

Luke looked hopeful. It was no secret that the kid was still smitten with the Princess.

“No, Solo,” Rieekan said with a sigh. “Whoever is piloting that transport will have to pose as a member of staff, which means no blasters. Luke is the only one who has an alternative weapon that he can easily conceal until he needs it. We need you inside with Leia and Artoo. Chewbacca will be standing by on the _Falcon_ to extract you all.”

Chewie growled a concern.

“Good point, pal,” Han agreed. “Chewie pointed out that the _Falcon_ is bound to draw attention, seeing as I’m wanted and all…” He deliberately didn’t look at Leia when he said it.

“We’ve taken care of that too. We’ve forged false registration documents for your ship. For this mission, she’ll be known as _Victory Ring_.”

Han silently grumbled. He didn’t like his ship being renamed, even if it was just for a mission. He also couldn’t come up with another reason not to be paired with Leia. He snapped his fingers as he thought of something.

“So, if this place is so heavy with Imperial presence, how are we all just going to waltz in? What’s our cover story for being there?”

“We already have a Rebel agent in place ready to receive you. He’s been there for over a month setting this all up and making his presence familiar. He’s logged an appointment for a client to make a withdrawal from one of the minimum-security vaults,” Rieekan explained.

“Glad I didn’t get that assignment,” Han said gratefully. “Who is this agent anyway?”

“He’s a Narithian named Phoedris.”

“A _Narithian?”_ Han repeated incredulously. “Count me out. I don’t trust those bugs.”

“Han!” Leia cried with surprise. “You can’t be serious. You’re being prejudiced about a member of the Rebellion for being a _nonhuman?_ ”

Her words stung him, especially after their conversation in her quarters that morning. But he held his ground.

“Your Worship, c’mon,” he barked. “They’re creepy. They hatch from eggs. Sometimes two or three at a time.”

“Phoedris is a loyal member of the Rebellion. He’s risked his life for us many times,” Leia insisted.

“I still don’t like it…”

“You don’t have a problem with a Wookie flying your precious ship,” Luke supplied. “What’s the difference?”

Han instinctively reached for his blaster. 

"Han!" Leia cried.

Han made himself remember it was Luke. His friend, Luke… the kid was still incredibly ignorant in the ways of the galaxy. Still, he seethed and said through grit teeth, “Take… that… back.”

Luke looked genuinely confused. Leia looked nervous. She knew she could intervene and probably calm Han down. Whenever he'd return from a particularly rough mission, he'd be tense and wound up. He'd told her before that her touch was calming, so she would often massage his shoulders, which would usually result in Han lying back and pulling her close, kissing her warmly. Leia felt herself flush. She certainly couldn't start giving Han a neck massage in the middle of a tense mission briefing - that would almost guarantee exposing their involvement with one another. Still, she couldn’t let Han do something foolish and reckless that he would later regret. She put a gentle hand on Han’s shoulder and said something he didn't quite make out. Instinctively, he tensed but then relaxed almost immediately.

As much as he might not want to admit it, her touch _was_ soothing. Han shut his eyes and the angry crease in his forehead smoothed as he relaxed. When he opened them and sighed, Leia lifted her hand from his shoulder.

“…sure Luke didn’t mean it like that,” Leia was saying.

He resisted the urge to snatch her hand back and pull her close enough to him so that he could bury his face in her hair. He had to remind himself that barely an hour ago he all but told her that he loved her, and she hadn’t reciprocated. He had to let her go.

“Yeah… I know,” Han huffed. Still, he sidled away from Luke and stood next to Chewbacca.

“I don’t care what the stupid farm boy says, pal… you’re _nothin’_ like a Narithian and you know that,” Han muttered to Chewie. The Wookie patted him on the shoulder with a furry paw in a reassuring way.

“So, anyway,” Han said, clearing his throat, “Just put my mind at ease. How do we know we can trust this Phoedris? Supposedly if they’re physically close by to any of their egg-mates, they can mind link. How do you know he can keep a secret?”

“Because, one of Phoedris’s egg-mates _did_ find out about his involvement with the Rebellion and tried to kill him. Phoedris was forced to kill him instead,” Leia said fiercely.

“Satisfied?” Luke quipped.

“Do I have a choice?” Han grumbled.

Rieekan was reading a datapad and looked up grimly. “One more thing before you go. It looks like Jabba the Hutt has tripled the bounty on you, Solo. And he lifted the stipulation of that payout for bringing you in alive… Now, he’ll pay that, dead or alive.”

Leia shot a furtive look at Han. To his credit, he appeared not to be distressed at the news, but she knew him well enough to know he was just trying to make light of the situation.

“Not surprising,” Han said with a shrug. “By now, Jabba doesn’t care about getting paid. He just wants revenge. He won’t be satisfied until he has my head on a platter.”

Leia couldn’t hide the genuine worry on her face.

“Hey, don’t look so distressed, your Highnessness,” Han said with that airy detached tone. “If we pull this heist off, it sounds like I might actually have enough credits to pay the bounty on myself.”

“Well, you all better get going,” Rieekan commented, looking at the chrono. “Phoedris said the fake appointment he made for you is tomorrow morning, and by the time you get loaded and into hyperspace, you’ll have just enough time. May the Force be with you all.”


	2. Chapter 2

Several hours later, Han sat in the cockpit watching the stars blur past as blue streaks. He wondered how long things would be awkward with Leia. Whatever their arrangement had been, he knew it was over. He certainly wasn’t going to force Leia to reciprocate feelings she didn’t have but at the same time, he couldn’t continue to just carry on like nothing had changed either. He’d broken the rules and now he was paying for it. He glanced at the chrono. They still had several hours before they would arrive on Ord Mantell. He’d tried to go to his cabin to sleep, but his damn bed smelled like her.

He sighed and got up, intending to look for Chewie. When he arrived in the main hold, he saw only Leia, sitting upright on the lounge bench with a cup of stim tea still steaming.

“Can’t sleep?” He guessed.

Leia shook her head. Han reached up and ran a hand through his hair. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “So, uhh, where’s Luke and Chewie?”

“Asleep,” Leia offered. “Luke’s in the main cabins. Chewie’s in his quarters. I’m not sure where Artoo is.”

Han glanced around the main hold. Suddenly, every part of his ship was overrun with memories involving her. There was the bulkhead he’d pushed her against when he’d gotten back from a delayed supply run. The lounge bench she currently sat on was where they’d unintentionally fallen asleep together after their disastrous mission on Corellia.

 _Snap out of it, Han!_ He scolded himself. _It’s over._

They shared a long, wordless stare. Leia wanted to tell him that she couldn’t sleep because it felt wrong to be in one of the main cabins while he was alone in the cockpit. She wanted nothing more than to follow him into his chambers and fall asleep beside him… after making love to him and telling him how much she loved him. But she’d put those rules in place for a reason, and that reason had become all too clear when the rules had been broken.

So instead, she just said, “I really am sorry…”

“You should try to get some sleep,” Han said, acting like he hadn’t heard her. “You’ll need to be alert tomorrow.”

He strode out of the main hold and into his cabin, kicking off his boots and collapsing onto the bed. He breathed in deeply, inhaling her scent from the sheets. He rolled over and stared at the cabinet in the corner for a moment.

“Damn her,” he muttered.

He climbed out of the bed and withdrew a glass bottle from the cabinet. He made his way back to the main hold, where she was still quietly sipping her tea. She looked up expectantly at his sudden reappearance.

He tossed the bottle at her. She expertly caught it with one hand, still clutching her tea in the other.

“That ought to help you sleep,” Han offered with a weak smile. He turned and disappeared back down the corridor leading to his cabin. Leia didn’t have to read the label on the bottle to know it was Corellian whiskey. She added a bit to her tea and went to find an empty cabin to sleep in, wishing that it was a certain Corellian that was lulling her to sleep rather than just Corellian whiskey.


	3. Chapter 3

Barely twelve hours later, Leia, Han, and Artoo were being escorted down a well-lit hallway by a Narithian who had so far kept his eyes at the ground.

“Right this way, Captain Solo,” Phoedris hissed, enunciating the _S_. “I will first show you to the terminal for your Artoo unit and where your companion will enter her credentials for the vault security.”

Han found it odd that Phoedris kept referring to Leia simply as his “companion” but there wasn’t time to address it. He also wished the damn bug would lower his voice and stop using his own name so kriffing much. After all, he _was_ wanted and this being an Imperial-run planet, they couldn’t be too careful.

When they reached the main computer terminal, Artoo plugged in and beeped an affirmative.

“Sounds like he’s ready to make the switch,” Han said.

Phoedris was watching the droid while Leia retrieved a small comm device from the terminal. She spoke quietly into it and pressed her palm against the appropriate screen. Two out of three lights on the terminal switched from red to green.

“So far so good,” Han said with a nod. “Now all that’s left is to scan your Royal peepers and we can get the hell out of here.”

“Han!” Leia cried with a worried glance at Phoedris.

The Narithian turned sharply toward her. “Royal? Why, you must be the Princess Leia Organa!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Han said unconcernedly. “No time for her to sign an autograph. Maybe when we get back to base, Phoedris. Go ahead, Leia. Get that retinal scan done so we can get out of here.”

Leia cast another furtive glance at the Narithian and leaned into the console. Despite him being a member of the Alliance, Leia still tried to keep her own identity concealed as often as possible. She was also wanted by the Empire. The retinal scanner beeped twice and the last red light switched to green.

“It worked!” Leia cried.

“Outstanding!” Han remarked. He activated the comm device he’d been carrying in his pocket. “Solo to Skywalker. Come in, Luke!”

“Skywalker, here,” Luke’s voice came in scratchy over the comm unit. “I hear you, buddy. What’s our status?”

“Container will be headed your way any minute, Luke. Load it up and get the hell outta there.”

“Copy that. Tell Artoo there’s a tether cable attached to this transport that he’ll need to override the release of. I can’t get it to budge otherwise,” Luke replied.

“Loud and clear, Luke,” Han answered. He switched the comm device off and nodded to the droid. Just as Artoo was about to plug back into the terminal, Phoedris aimed a blaster at them.

“I’m afraid no one is going anywhere.”

“Leia!” Han yelled as he drew his own weapon and jumped in front of her.

“Not so fast, Solo! You’re more valuable alive, but I won’t hesitate to shoot you. The reward is also paid out for your head.”

Han lowered his blaster but kept his left arm extended, ensuring Leia remained behind him.

“That’s just great,” Han grimaced. “Everyone thinks they can be a bounty hunter now.”

“Oh, but I _am_ a bounty hunter, Solo! And a much better one than Greedo or the others you’ve dispatched,” the Narithian hissed.

“Phoedris, I don’t understand,” Leia pleaded. “You’ve been loyal to the Rebellion since—”

“Bah!” The Narithian hissed again. “Phoedris is dead. He talked too much and I realized a profitable opportunity awaited me if Solo was sent on this mission. The Princess is an added bonus as the Empire will surely pay handsomely for her as well!”

“I still don’t understand this!” Leia cried.

“I am not Phoedris. I am his egg-mate, Cypher,” the Narithian explained with a sinister hiss. “I forced my egg-mate Phoedris into a mind-link to obtain the details of your mission so that I could pass for him, but he was weak. He died during the process.”

Han’s upper lip curled back in disgust. "I knew we shouldn't have trusted one of those bugs," he muttered, shooting a contemptuous look in Leia's direction. He thought quickly and slammed his hand on the control panel, initiating an oxygen circulation. The vaults were deep underground, requiring constant oxygen to be cycled through. Once every 24 hours, fresh oxygen would be automatically cycled through the ventilation as the stale toxin-riddled air was filtered out. But there was a manual override in case of emergency. Han knew that while the oxygen cycle was running, none of them could fire their blasters or the entire room would explode. That bought them a few precious moments for him to think. Unfortunately, Leia was still yelling at him.

"Phoedris wouldn't have done this, Han!" Leia shot back. 

"Silence!" Cypher commanded. 

"Whatever, your Royal pain-in-the-ass," Han continued as if the Narithian hadn't spoken. "They're all the same - those bugs can't be trusted!"

"If _you_ had just kept your mouth shut!" Leia snapped. 

"Me!?"

"He didn't know who I was, Han!" She explained, exasperated. 

"Well, how was I supposed to know all your precious rebels don't know who you are?! That's probably something the other members of your mission team need to know!"

"Oh please, Han! Very few independently-operating rebels stationed off base know who I am."

"Well, you can add one more to that list then," Han snapped. 

"Thanks to you!" Leia seethed. "He was only here because of you. You and that stupid bounty on your head have caused nothing but trouble!" Leia accused. 

"Well, sorry to have inconvenienced you, sweetheart. Next time a gangster wants to kill me, I'll try to make sure it's suitable for your schedule!" 

"That's not what I meant!" Leia objected. 

"Well, what did you mean? That if I hadn't given away who you were he could have just killed me and left you alive to take your millions back to the Rebellion?" Han barked with obvious offense.

"What?! No!" Leia paled. 

Han noticed the color drain from her face. 

"Ohhh, but the thought crossed your mind, didn't it Princess?"

Leia spluttered but didn't answer.

"Hey, I tried to get you nice and cozy down here with Luke. You were there when the General vetoed that idea," Han continued. 

A sudden small _hiss_ signaled the end of the oxygen replacement cycle. The vents clicked back into place. 

"I said _SILENCE!"_ Cypher screamed, firing a blaster shot at the ceiling. 

“Leia, get down!” Han shouted, pushing her out of the way as permacrete and dust rained down from above. 

In the precious few moments it took for them to get oriented, Cypher had regained control of the situation. When the dust cleared, he was aiming his blaster directly at Han's chest. 

“Now, Solo,” Cypher ordered, “if you and the Princess wish to survive this encounter, place your blaster on the floor and kick it over to me.”

Han didn’t move.

“Do it now!”

Han knelt slowly and set his blaster on the floor. He stood back up, making sure Cypher could see his hands raised in front of him. While Cypher was watching his hands, Han slid the tip of his boot under the muzzle and flicked his foot just so. The blaster flew into the air and Han caught it with skilled precision.

He fired two shots at the Narithian as Cypher simultaneously fired back. Han’s aim was true – both shots struck Cypher square in the chest. Unfortunately, the Narithian’s aim was also skilled. Han doubled over as a laser blast struck him in his abdomen. He landed face down on the floor and didn't move.

“HAN!” Leia screamed.

Cypher managed a weak laugh through a wretched gurgling sound. “It looks like Solo’s luck has run out, Princess. You may have defeated me, but you will never get off this planet alive.” The Narithian drew a final rattling breath and was still.

“Han!” Leia cried again. "Oh, gods, no!” She clutched his vest and rolled him over. The blaster wound was still smoking. She could feel the panic setting in as she sought for any sign of life. “Han, please don’t do this to me! C’mon, damnit, you can’t leave me like this!”

Han suddenly took a shuddering breath and groaned in pain. “Oh, thank the gods!” Leia cried. She pulled her own jacket off and ripped the sleeves into strips, tying them hastily together. She wrapped the makeshift bandage around the wound. “C’mon,” she urged him. “We gotta get back to Chewie and the ship.”

“We… warn Luke… tether,” Han said weakly as he reached in his vest pocket for the comm device. He pressed the button to activate it, but they heard nothing but static.

“It must have gotten damaged when you hit the floor,” Leia guessed. “We can contact him from the _Falcon_. Come on!”

She slung Han’s arm over her shoulder and helped bear as much of his weight as she could. She only hoped they could make it to his ship in time.

***********

Meanwhile, Luke was trying desperately to reach them on his own comm device but having no luck. The tether had still not been released, even though the shipping container had been loaded. The docking bay attendant was growing suspicious and approached the transport.

“What seems to be the trouble?”

“You got me,” Luke said casually with a shrug. “The tether was supposed to release but as you can see, it’s still in place. Isn’t there a manual override for these things?”

“I never seen you before. You new?” The attendant asked suspiciously.

“Yep, just transferred from, uhh, night shift,” Luke lied.

“Where is your cargo headed?” He asked.

“Here’s the manifest,” Luke said, handing a datapad to the attendant. “I just take the freight where they tell me.”

“Hmm,” said the attendant as he read the datapad. “I better double check with the supervisor on this one before I release that tether.”

“Aww, c’mon,” Luke appealed. “This transfer is already gonna be late as it is… and it’s my ass on the line.”

“Mine, too, buddy, so let me just make a call,” the attendant said firmly.

 _Damnit_ , Luke thought.

Just as the attendant reached the control room, Luke engaged the throttle. The transport lurched upward but snatched back toward the ground when the slack from the tether gave out.

“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!” The attendant roared. “SECURITY BREACH!” He hollered into a comm on his control panel.

Luke unclasped his lightsaber from his belt and ignited the blade. He hacked at the tether cable until it finally cut through. He switched off the saber and climbed back into the tiny cockpit. He steered the transport to the general area where they’d agreed on a rendezvous only to find that the _Millennium Falcon_ was gone! Luke tried to think what to do. This was an in-atmosphere only transport – he couldn’t take it off-world.

Suddenly, the comms inside the transport buzzed to life. A familiar roar came through the speakers.

“Chewie is that you?” Luke called.

“Luke, it’s us!” Leia replied.

“Where’s Han?” Luke asked.

“He’s here, but he’s hurt. Chewie’s flying the _Falcon_.”

“I ran into some trouble myself,” Luke said. “Chewie can you hear me?”

The Wookie barked and whined what Luke assumed was an affirmative response.

“Okay Chewie, I’ve got your coordinates. Get ready to make a flying catch!”


	4. Chapter 4

Leia looked at Chewie and Han dubiously. Han refused to stay in the med-bay and instead, was sitting in his pilot’s chair doing whatever he could to help Chewie.

“What is a ‘flying catch’?” Leia asked skeptically.

“You’re about to find out,” Han said. “Chewie, open the forward cargo doors.”

“Oh, kriffing hell,” Leia muttered.

Both the _Falcon_ and Luke’s cargo transport were being pursued by stormtroopers, all who were firing heavily.

“If we survive this, it’ll be a miracle!” Leia cried.

“Chewie, stay sharp. As soon as Luke’s on board, we’ve gotta punch outta here. Get the coordinates for lightspeed ready.”

“You’re going to go into lightspeed from inside the atmosphere?! Han, that’s insane!”

“You got any better ideas, sweetheart?” Han snapped. He squeezed his eyes shut as a wave of pain washed over him.

“If Luke doesn’t deploy his brake thrusters in time, he’s going to pulverize this entire ship!” Leia declared.

“Still waiting to hear your better idea!” Han shot back.

Leia let out a huff of frustration and ran down the corridors. She got into position to relay back to the cockpit once Luke was securely aboard. Several tense moments later, although they’d felt like hours, Leia mashed a button on the wall and shouted, “We’ve got him! Let’s go!”

She was secretly glad she hadn’t been in the cockpit to see the sight of them going into hyperspace from inside the planet’s atmosphere. Once they were safely in lightspeed, Luke joined her in the main hold and breathed a massive sigh of relief before announcing he was going to the ‘fresher to shower.

Leia meanwhile was forcing Han out of the cockpit and to the med-bunk so his blaster wound could be treated properly.

“It can wait til we get back to base,” Han argued. He’d already taken a pain-killer so he expected to sleep through the rest of the trip anyhow.

“Han, get your stubborn ass on that bunk _now_ ,” Leia commanded.

Despite everything, including the pain from his wound, Han felt a grin creep over his mouth. Leia had used the same assertive, imposing tone plenty of other times… and he’d always been more than willing to let her have her way.

“Okay, okay, whatever you say, your worshipfulness,” Han barked with a roll of his eyes. He did as she asked and lied down on the med-bunk. He was so exhausted, he thought he might even just take a little nap right then and there. But then Leia started unwinding the makeshift bandage and sleep evaporated from his mind.

He regretted that he couldn’t enjoy the electricity of her touch due to the nauseating pain. He shuddered to think what the pain might be like if he hadn't taken any kind of medication. Leia’s petite hands delicately pulled the bandages away from the charred skin. She was struggling to apply bacta to the wound, however, since frayed pieces of his torn shirt were sticking to it.

“You’re gonna have to take off your shirt,” Leia finally said.

“You mean _you’re_ gonna have to take off my shirt, Princess,” Han corrected her. Leia shot him a warning look. 

“If I do it, I’ll probably puke on you," Han explained. "Every time I move, the room spins.”

Leia had to admit, he did look pretty queasy. She dug in the med-supply drawer and found a pair of shears. She cut the shirt away from his torso and replaced the shears in the drawer. The few bacta patches Han kept on board weren’t big enough for his wound. Luckily, she found a jar of bacta gel and dabbed her fingers in it, digging out a liberal amount and gently rubbing it on his wound. Han balled his fist as the initial pain from the bacta subsided until it was little more than a minor tingling sensation. Leia continued to apply the bacta until she was satisfied she’d covered the entire wound. She let her fingertips linger millimeters over him before lightly resting her hand on his chest. Han’s eyes were closed, his breathing finally steady and methodic. Without meaning to, Leia reached up and ran a hand through his hair. She turned to go to the refresher, but suddenly, Han reached for her hand.

“Mmm, stay here w’me,” he said through the narcotic-induced haze.

Leia sat on the edge of the bunk, her hand still enclosed in Han’s. She knew she shouldn't - they weren't alone on the ship. Luke or Chewie could walk in at any minute. But then the sight of Han being shot and collapsing to the floor flashed through her mind. She shook her head to banish the image. 

“I thought I lost you today,” Leia murmured quietly, unsure if he was even awake to hear her.

The adrenaline high long gone, Leia felt her energy abandoning her. She knew she should go to one of the cabins. But she simply slid further down the bunk so she was lying beside Han. She kissed his shoulder and within moments of her head resting on the pillow, she was asleep.

Unbeknownst to Leia, Luke, having realized there was no hot water left in the ‘fresher, had returned to the main hold about the same time she had started removing Han’s bandages. He’d seen their whole exchange and tried to ignore the twist of jealousy that had sprung up at seeing how familiar they seemed with one another. He suspected the previous morning when he and Wedge had caught Han exiting Leia’s chambers, it hadn’t been the smuggler’s first time sneaking out of that room, and he was surer than ever now that Han hadn't just been repairing her heating unit. 

************

Luke kept a particularly close eye on both Han and Leia over the next week when they returned to Echo Base, but for all the tenderness they’d displayed with one another on the return trip from Ord Mantell, they seemed to be doing everything they could to avoid each other on Hoth.

So when Han announced days later that he was going to be leaving to pay off Jabba, no one was more surprised than Luke. They’d filled him in on their encounter with Cypher, but no one besides Leia knew how serious it had been.

Han swore he was going to pay off Jabba and come back… but Leia knew how quickly things could go wrong. Kriff, Han would be lucky if the Hutt didn’t have him killed on sight. No, she was convinced if he left, she would never see him again. In the days and weeks that followed, Leia would see just how wrong things could go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: From here, the events of Empire Strikes Back occur, so I’m not going to rewrite what is arguably the best Star Wars film in existence (fight me on it). <3


End file.
